Slab turning apparatus



June 14, 1938. J. F. SPELLACY ET AL 2,120,314

SLAB TURNING APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS A JbHN E SPELLACY lfrg.

BY THOMAS I... BURRELL QM/ATTORNEY.

June 14, 1938. J. FISPELLACY El Al. 2,120,314

SLAB TURNING APPARATUS INVENTOR5 I v JbH/v'E JPELLACY if I 7 BY Tho/ms L.BU/\RELL P tented lium; 1.4, 1938 UNITED STATES sum TURNING APPARATUS John F. Spellacy, Fairviewvilla'ge, and Thomas L. Burrell, Cleveland, Ohio Application May 20, 1937, Serial No. 143,803 1 Claim. (01. 198-33) This invention relates to a slab clamping and turning apparatus for turning steel or ferrous slabs-for cross rolling. In the manufacture of steel strip and bar stock, the usual practice is to 5 pass the cropped and heated ingot or steel slab to a suitable scale breaking mill or reduction mill, the slab passing to the mill endwise or crosswise,

- as desired, along conveyors, such as suitably driven conveying rolls or chains, to a transfer table. Such a table is usually a large and expensive hydraulically hoisted platform which lifts the slab clear of the conveyor, rotates it 90 about a vertical axis, and re-deposits it on the conveyors so that it enters the mill at 90 to its original position. For example, the slab may pass through the first mill sidewise and beforeit is passed through the succeeding mill, it is turned endwise, whereupon it is again turned sidewise preparatory to entry into the third mill, this action continuing until the slab has been reduced to a prede-' termined size and shape. Not only are the transfer tables employed very expensive, but also they rotation and re-positioning of the slab without any appreciable cessation in its rate of travel.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a horizontal plan view of the discharge 40 end of one mill and the. conveying rolls leading to the next mill, showing the invention installed for use in connection therewith, part thereof being shown in section for clearness, in illustration;

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. '3' is a diagrammatic illustration of successive operations of the apparatus;

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary vertical sectional views taken on lines 4-4 and 55, respectively, of Fig. 1; 3 Fig. 61s a diagrammatic illustration of part of the apparatus showing the automatic fluid pressure control and operating circuit; and

Fig. '7 illustrates a modification of the inven- 55 tion.

Referring to the drawings, the-upright columns of the frame of the rolling mill from which the slab is being delivered are indicated at I. Connected to the frame members I are laterally adjustable longitudinally extending guides I and 3,

respectively, for guiding theslab into a succeeding mill. Each of the guides 2 and 3 is provided at the end adjacent the first mill with a suitable worm follower 4 which is pivotally connected to the end of the guide by a pivot 5. The worm follower operates on a suitable screw 6 which is mounted on the frame I of the mill for rotation about a horizontal laterally extending axis and may be rotated by a suitable hand wheel "I for moving the follower '4' laterally of the mill The opposite end of each guide is provided with a longitudinal slot I in which slides a pivot 9 fastened to the frame of the succeeding mill, the

" longitudinal slot compensating for the difference between the swinging radius'of the guide and the chords] path of the follower 4. 'Both guides have upright guide surfaces, such as the surface indicated at I! on the guide 2, the guide surfaces extending longitudinally of the path of travel f the slab. However, in the case of the guide surface of the guide I, the relatively leading portion II is offset outwardly from the plane of the relatively trailing guide surface portion," thereof,

"ceeding mill.

At a distance beyond the mill I, at least slightly greater than the maximum length of the slab to issue therefrom, is the clamping mechanism with which the present invention is particularly concerned. This mechanism may comprise a pair of hydraulically or pneumatically operated,

pistons 25 and-I6 which are aligned axially with each other and arranged one above and one below the path of theslab. The pistons! and '26 are mounted in hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 21 and 20. so as to be driven relatively toward each I v other by fluid pressure. The cylinders 21 and 28 are preferably carried'on the guide 3 so as to operate in the proper relation thereto in all adjusted positions of the guide 3.

Carried on the bottom end of the piston 25 is a gripping shoe 2! which may be rotatable about its own axis and the axisof the piston on suitable ball bearings 30. correspondingly, a gripping shoe Si is provided on the piston 26. The shoes 29 and ii are preferably slightly convex and armate or spherical on their grippin faces so that substantially only point contact with the slab is effected.

The cylinders 21 and 28 are connectedto a suitable source of fluid underpressure, such as pneumatic pressure, which is readily available in steel mills, the cylinders being connected in parallel to the fluid pressure circuit by suitable pipe lines 33, 34 and 35, to which fluid pressure is supplied from a flexible hose line 35 through valves later to be described.

The shoes 29 and 3| are so arranged that the leading corner of the slab ,nearest the guide 3 will pass therebetween. At the instant of such passage, the pressure fluid is introduced into the cylinders 21 and 25 and forces the pistons into gripping relation with the opposite faces of the 'slab adjacent the corner. Since the cylinders 21 and 28 are interconnected in the fluid pressure circuit, the pistons will accommodate themselves to the thickness of the particular slab and will 7 not. lift it from the rolls 23 or force it too tightly thereagainst. Thus, the gripping or clamping mechanism floats vertically and is self adjusting for the thickness of the particular slab. With the slab g pped in this manner, the continuous driving of the rolls 23 causes it to begin swinging about its clamped corner, that is, about the common axis of the pistons 25 and 25, and to continue to do so until the leading corner which was originally directly opposite from the gripped corner, transversely of the path of travel of the slab, has swung. around and engaged the trailing guide surface portion I3 of the guide '3. This swinging or turning action thereby disposes parallel to the trailing portion l3 of the guide 3 that edge of the slab which was originally the leading edge or side. In this position the slab may be released, the desired turning having been accomplished without appreciably interrupting the travel of the slab. The devicemaybe operated by hand by the operator if desired, but automatic control is preferred.

As one example of automatic control, a suitable rock lever or wiper is fixedly mounted on a rock shaft ll which is carried on the guide 3. The wiper 43 extends from beneath the top plane of the conveying rolls 25 thereabove and into a position to be engaged by the slab, indicated as S in Figs. 3 and 5, and rocked the proper amount when the corner of the slab is in the proper position between the shoes 29 and 3| to cause the shoes to clamp the slab.

The wiper 13 operates a means, later to be described, such that, when the wiper is rocked by the slab, the source of fluid pressure is connected to the cylinders 21 and 25 and remains connected as long as the wiper is held in the rocked position. For releasing the slab after it has been turned, a plunger 42 is mounted in the portion l3 of the guide-3 in a position to be engaged and moved laterally of the guide portion l3 when the leading edge or side of the slab has been swung alongside the guide. The plunger 42 operates a means for disconnecting the cylinders 21 and 25 from the source of fluid pressure and venting them to the atmosphere or to a suitable sump. Return springs 43 may be used for restoring the pistons 25 and 25 tostarting position when the fluid pressure is relieved for restoring the shoes 29 and 3! to non-gripping position. Obviously, if desired, the gripping action may be efiected by the springs and the return action by the fluid pressure mechanism.

' Referring next to Fig. 3, the turning operation is 'dically illustrated. In such in- 7 left.

stance the slab S is moving sidewise from right to When it'passes between'the clamping shoes 23 and 3|, it is gripped near one corner and begins swinging, as indicated by the arrow 44, one

swinging position of the slab being indicated at S1.

It continues swinging around the axis of the pistons until it reaches a position indicated by the dotted line S2, in which instance its leading edge 45' lies alongside the trailingguide portion l3. In this position it is released and continues moving in the new position, indicated at 8:, wherein what was originally the leading edge lies along the guide and the side edge 45 becomes the leading edge. It is to be noted that clearance must be allowed for the relative passage of the comer ll of the slab during its rotation or turning. For this reason the leading guide portion II is offset from the trailing portion l3 as heretofore described.

The slab ordinarily is discharged from the mill onto the conveying rolls a few inches out from the guide 3 and is not required to be guided until the turningoperation begins. If such guiding is required, only theportion of the guide portion ll adjacent the clamping mechanism would be oflset to permit relative passage of the corner 41 during rotation of the slab:

In order to render the fluid pressure operated pistons automatic, as heretofore mentioned, the rock shaft 4| is connected to the stem of a valve 55 for rotating the valve plug 5| thereof when the wiper lI-is rocked by the ingot or slab S. A suitable coil return spring 53 is provided-in surrounding relation to the shaft II for restoring the wiper 40 and consequently the valve plug 5|, to starting position when the slab passes out of engagement with the wiper l0. .As better with a single transverse passage 54 which, when.

the valve plug is rotated by the slab through the medium of the wiper 45, connects the pipe line 55 with a source of fluid under pressure, not shown, and when the valve is restored to its starting position by the spring 53,.disconnects the line 55 from the source of fluid pressure. The wiper II is positioned so that when the ingot is in proper positionto be gripped by the shoes 29 and 3|, the wiper will open the valve 50,

Connected in the line 55 between the valve and the line 35 which leads to the cylinders is a valve 53 having a valve plug 5| which is provided with a diametrical duct 52 and 'a bleeder duct 53 communicating with the duct 52 and extending substantially at right angles thereto. .The valve plug 5| is so arranged that it normally occupies a position wherein the duct 52 connects the lines 35 and.55. The casing of thevalve is provided with a bleeder vent 54 arranged so that when the valve plug 5| is rotated sufllciently to block the line 55 leading from the valve 50, the line 35, leading from the valve 50 to the cylinders, is connected with the vent, through the ducts 52 and 53. The valve plug 5| has an operating handle 55 having'at one end an operating pin 51 which operates in a slot 58 in a yoke portion gagement with the ingot, the valve plug 8| is rotated to stop the flow of fluid pressure from the valve and-to connect the cylinders with the bleeder vent 64, thus releasing the pneumatic or fluid pressure, whereupon the plungers 25 and23 release the slab.

As diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6, the control circuit is in normally inoperative position, the lines 35 and being disconnected from the source of fluid pressure by the valve 50 and the plungers 25 and 25 being in withdrawn or nonclampingrposition. As the slab strikes the wiper 40, the valve 50 is opened and fluid under pressure passes through the line 55, the valve 60, and-the line 35 into both cylinders 21 and 28 for operating the same to grip the slab. This pressure is maintained until the slab strikes the plunger 42 and turns the valve plug 6| so as to disconnect the cylindersfrom the source of air under pressure and connect them through the duct 63 and duct 62 with the bleeder vent 54. In this position of the valve plug 6|, the springs of the cylinders return the cylinders to a non-gripping position and the slab is released. This position of the valve plug 8| is maintained as the slab travels a short distance along its path of travel in its turned position and until it has released the wiper 40 which has meanwhile been depressed. Durin this period, obviously the only loss of air or liquid is that which was originally in the cylinders. Upon continued movement at the slab, the wiper 40 is released and disconnectsthe line 55 fromthe source of fluid pressure, the valve plug 5| re turning to its starting position, as illustrated. Upon additional movement of the slab, the plunger 42 is released and the spring In their restores the plunger 42 and valve plug 6|. to'a position connecting the lines 55 and 35 so that the circuit is ready for repetition of the cycle. i

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the apparatus may readily be installed for use in connection with the existing mill equipment and effects the operation of turning-the slab without appreciably interrupting the travel thereof.

It instead of the mechanism above described, a simpler though less positive apparatus for this purpose is desired, the structure illustrated inFlg. 7 may be used. As illustrated, there is provided in a guide 13, similar to the guide 3, instead of the plungers 25 and 28, a pivot 15. The pivot 15 depends below its support on the guide 13 a distance suiilcient to lie in a path of the slab so that the leading edge of the slab adjacent the corner nearest to the guide 13 will strike the pivot 15 and, being-obstructed at such corner, will be rotated or swung about the pivot by the. conveying rolls until the slab is disposed at right angles to its original position. It happens, however, that at times the pivot does not hold the slab sumciently securely after it has' swung about from its position of engagement therewith. On the contrary, the slab often slides off the pivot and becomes skewed relative to its path of travel and enters the succeeding millinimproper position. In order to eliminate this disadvantage,

however, the pivot is constrained from rotation and is provided with a suitable disk lthaving peripherally disposed, radially extending teeth l'l.

When the teeth of the disk engage'the leading.

edge of the slab near the corner, they tend to dig slightly into the slab and thus prevent the slab said portion to a new rotated position.

. JOHN F. SPELLACY.

THQMAS' L. BURRELL. 

